NORFOLK, Va. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is modifying North Landing Bridge's navigation openings to two a day Monday through Friday at 9:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. while ongoing repairs to the bridge are completed. These openings could last up to an hour, and motorists should plan accordingly.
The bridge, which spans the Albemarle and Chesapeake Canal in Chesapeake, was first shut down Monday morning to vehicles. Norfolk District officials say single-span openings for navigation will also resume at 9 a.m. Wednesday, but the bridge will be closed to commercial vessels over 38 feet wide.
“Emergency electrical repairs on Monday and Tuesday were unsuccessful,” said Keith Lockwood, chief of Norfolk District’s Operations Branch. “The installation of a new electrical line crossing the Albemarle and Chesapeake Canal will be required, and the North Landing Bridge spans will only be opened manually for commercial navigation at set times beginning Friday at 10 a.m. Each opening will take approximately two hours.”
Motorists traveling north on Mount Pleasant Road in Chesapeake can detour around the bridge by taking Centerville Turnpike to Elbow Road to Indian River Road, then back to North Landing Road. The detour should be followed in reverse for drivers traveling south on North Landing Road in Virginia Beach.
Vessels traveling the canal can contact the North Landing Bridge operator on Marine Channel 13 for more information.
“We are currently conducting an analysis of the bridge, which is a prime example of older infrastructure in need of major repair or replacement,” Lockwood said. “Electrical repairs will be done next week, but we don’t have a set date yet.”
North Landing Bridge sits on the border between Virginia Beach and Chesapeake, where Mount Pleasant Road turns into North Landing Road.
For more information, contact Joel Scussel of Norfolk District’s Operations Branch at 757-201-7642 or the North Landing Bridge operator at 757-482-3081.